Our request is for a gas-phase protein sequenator which is the current state-of-the-art instrumentation. The University will provide the funds necessary for the automated analysis equipment which is required for this methodology. The research requiring the use of this equipment involves projects in six separate laboratories in the Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry. These projects are: 1) chemical and biological characterization of opioid and non-opioid peptides involved in the adrenal medullary response to stress; 2) characterization of lipid enzyme binding sites; 3) characterization of S-adenosyl methionine binding sites; 5) isolation and characterization of the hCG receptor; and 6) characterization of proteins involved in oocyte maturation. These projects currently involve four graduate students with an expected increase to eight to ten over the next two years. In addition to these specific projects the Biochemistry Department is developing a micro-protein isolation and characterization facility which is rapidly becoming a regional resource. The sequenator would be the final necessary step in a fully instrumented facility of this type.